Glenview School District 34 broke ground Friday for its new middle school – a three-story glass and brick building on the shores of Lake Glenview. The William J. Attea Middle School will serve about 800 sixth, seventh and eighth graders from an area yet to be decided.

Attea, the district’s superintendent for 24 years, was away on business but promised to attend the school’s grand opening in 2003. The current superintendent, Dot Weber, was on hand along with Village President Larry Carlson, who told the crowd, "We are here because we know we have an obligation to the current generation and the future generations of school children of Glenview. Consider it an unwritten social contract."

No one referred to last spring’s defeat of a referendum to hire teachers and buy supplies for the new school, but one parent said she had mixed emotions as ground was broken. "People are worried about where the money’s going to come from," she said.

The district may achieve some economies by collaborating with the neighbors. Noting that the new building will be next to Park Center, Weber said the school’s cafeteria and computer lab might be used for some Park District functions and programs. "We can envision lots of partnerships," she said.

Architect John Maurer said the first stage of construction would entail importing about 15,000 cubic yards of soil to elevate the site by about four feet. He said the building was typical of what other communities are building and was not as elegant as early reports suggested. There is, for example, no "atrium," only a large open area at the entrance.

Maurer said facilities at the new school would be comparable to those at Springman, where an extensive renovation is nearly complete.

The Glen Redevelopment Commission raised half a dozen objections to plans for a mixed use retail center at The Glen Wednesday. The board’s members questioned the adequacy of parking, the wisdom and safety of five-way traffic intersections and called on the developer to provide an analysis of how the MURC would effect traffic on Lake Avenue, Waukegan and Willow roads.

They also felt a public green was too small, and questioned the prospects for selling town homes built in front of a parking garage with no back yards. The developer does not plan to put windows in the back walls of those units, but GRC Chairman Howard Silver objected strongly, "To build a 45-foot high wall a half a block long I think is ludicrous," he said.

Echoing sentiments expressed by members of the public, Commissioner Jack Bevington questioned the size of the project and plans to spend about $8 million to renovate Hangar One for use as a shopping center. "I really am concerned about the amount of money that the village is expected to pour into this thing, and I would like to know how much money this group of people called the Hangar One Foundation can muster. I don’t think the village should be footing this bill."

Silver attacked the appearance of the Von Maur department store which another commissioner compared with big box retailers like K-Mart or Best Buy. Silver proposed a more traditional look with large display windows and mannequins. He also objected to the side and rear design of the shopping center. "The fronts are great, but the rears are like a movie set the way this whole thing has been treated."

Finally, Silver called for an explanation of the MURC’s financing. The village will initially invest $69 million in the project, but stands to get money back from land sales and shopping center profits.

Commissioner Mary Novotny objected to plans for 45-foot high town homes at the MURC. The developer, Kimball Hill, will need a variance from local zoning to build something that tall and would normally have to prove a hardship before receiving the okay from village officials. Novotny said she saw no hardship.

Looking deeply peeved and sounding like a teacher scolding her pupil, Development Director Mary Bak grabbed the microphone. "I think we discussed that before," she said. Bak then explained that in the early stages of planning, the village board had agreed that developers at the MURC need not prove hardship in order to win a variance.

The Watch does not recall such a public rebuke when Chairman Howard Silver raised the same point as Novotny during a previous meeting.

The developer said it would not be legal to put windows in town homes that abut another building – the parking garage. Glenview’s building code prohibits windows on a property line to keep fire in one structure from spreading to its neighbor, and he pointed out that the town houses sat close to the parking garage to screen it from public view.

Paul Buss, of San Diego-based Oliver/McMillan, resisted the idea of a large public green, claiming that it would disrupt the design needed to encourage shopping at the retail center.

Past drawings of the site had included an outdoor fountain, but Commissioner Novotny complained that it was no longer a part of the plan.

"I do not really understand the benefit in a particular climate where a good portion of the year it’s frozen over," said Buss.

The developer and Development Director Bak continued to argue for the five-way intersections that would slow traffic. "The site plan was designed to build in some congestion, to build in some conflict," Bak explained. (A similar, traffic-calming effort is underway at Northbrook Court where officials say cars are moving too quickly. This summer, they’ll narrow the ring road in some places from four to two lanes.)

Another hearing on the MURC is set for 7 p.m. June 20 in the Board Room of Village Hall. Buss should be back with answers to many of the commission’s objections, but the reality is that many features of the MURC were spelled out in a legally-binding contract between the village and the developer even before public hearings were held. It would be costly for the village to demand certain changes. If we were to eliminate a single town house from the plan, for example, we would be forced to pay the developer more than $100,000.

During last Tuesday’s board meeting, Glen Redevelopment Director Don Owen announced that the village had won a "$500,000 federal grant" to build a bike trail through The Glen, along the south side of West Lake Avenue to Gallery Park and the new Metra station. The board approved a contract for planning and design with Civil Tech, a company that has done extensive work at The Glen, for $31,263 plus a 10 percent contingency fee.

As Owen stumbled through his presentation, making reference to "a big, grand scheme for bike paths and bike trails" and "a very substantial bike path system around Gallery Park," he mentioned that the village must come up with $100,000 in matching money to get the $400,000 government grant.

Trustee Pappo asked how long the new path would be. Owen started talking his way through an estimate and, 30 seconds later, figured it would be "a little bit over a mile."

Harry Gilmore, an engineer with Civil Tech, said the original grant was actually for almost three miles, but a one-mile section has already been built along Patriot Boulevard, so the new portion will be about two miles long.

Editor’s note: Owen’s presentation was disjointed and difficult to understand, and the implication that a $500,000 grant would pay for the work, when $100,000 is actually coming from the TIF, was misleading.

The James Company, which built Heatherfield and a large section of homes at The Glen, is preparing to break ground at the southeast corner of Willow and Waukegan Roads in Northfield. Their newest development, Fox Meadow, will feature 27 town houses and 26 single-family homes clustered together and surrounded by open space. The site is just over 30 acres but includes nearly 10 acres of soccer fields and a two-acre wetland.

The developer will not build a detention pond to handle flood water. Instead, the project involves a wet meadow – low-lying land seeded with prairie plants that have very deep roots. The root systems create tiny tunnels into the ground, promoting faster drainage. One resident expressed doubts, saying he had lived next to such a facility in Glenview, and stagnant water was a big problem.

The chairman of Northfield’s Planning and Zoning Board determined that the Glenview property had been planted with turf grass – a poor choice because it has such short roots. Kirk Bennett explained that "Glenview has a lot of problems with water," but he said Northfield has learned effective techniques for managing its storm water.

Tree protection was also an issue for this project. Only 58 percent of the 262 trees on the 30-acre parcel will be saved, and some large and valuable trees are among those coming down – among them a burr oak that could be more than 150 years old. Tree expert and consultant Jeff Wilson said it was already doing poorly because construction of a new building for the Missionary Sisters next door had changed the flow of water, flooding the tree’s roots. Even if James were to cancel construction of a home near the tree, he said there was no guarantee it would survive the additional trauma of heavy equipment working in the area.

Local builder Bernie Schmidt was featured in the Announcements for his decision to hire a tree moving consultant. Bryan Williams of Detroit-based Worldwide Treemovers relocated two large pines and a maple at 1966 Dewes. Had he chosen to chop them down, Glenview’s tree ordinance would have meant a $10,000 fine for Schmidt. Instead, he paid Wilson $6,500.

Schmidt complained that he had gotten more flak for the few projects that involved tree removal than for the "thousands of trees I’ve saved." Village expert Dan Roseman praised Schmidt for a "good faith effort."

Call them Glenview’s "green berets." Last week, village naturalist Robyn Flakne, former Trustee Kent Fuller, Prairie Project Vice President Rob Blomquist and Grove Director Steve Swanson led a team of people to a wetland behind the site where Hyatt is building its Classic Residence. The property is set to be filled-in, and the group feared frogs in the area would be wiped out. Together, they collected more than two dozen tadpoles from the water along with snails, dragon and damsel fly larvae and leeches. The tiny critters were released at a spot in Harms Woods where the experts thought they could thrive. The group vowed to go back to The Glen on a warmer day to look for mature chorus frogs that have been heard in the area.

Park District plans for Swenson Park and the shuttered Rugen Center won a generally favorable response from the neighbors last week at a preliminary public hearing. Officials want to tear down the building, put up a fenced dog park, an outdoor skate park for roller hockey, a playground, baseball court, sports fields, picnic shelter and jogging path.

Did you know, by the way, that the park was named for Charles Swenson, owner of a local tree nursery and a life-long bachelor? Swenson donated the money for our gazebo in Jackman Park but wanted no recognition for that gift. When he died in 1990, leaving the Park District $1.3 million, officials could not resist the urge to honor him.

The Park District plans to put a trailer at Wagner Farm to serve as a temporary classroom and provide restrooms to visitors as the area is readied for public use. Long-term plans include an interpretive center with classrooms, offices and living space for the farm’s caretaker. The old Wagner house will become a museum, and the farm will have a winding path allowing pedestrians to view different parts of the operation. A new 75-space parking lot is planned across the street. It will be maintained by the Park District, owned by St. Peter and Paul’s Church and shared by the two.

About 11 acres will be devoted to pasture, three and a half acres to crops, one acre for an orchard and one for gardens. There will be no fish pond, no horse stable, no lamas or sheep. Instead, visitors will find chickens, about a dozen cows and – of course – Bart the bull. The Park Board will consider the plan at its next meeting at 7 p.m. June 21 in Park Center.

Trustee John Crawford tried again to persuade his colleagues that reasonable building limits were needed for oversized lots in neighborhoods of small homes. The joint Plan and Zoning Commissions had offered a formula, but it was never adopted. President Carlson, Trustees Pappo and Lerner wanted to approve those limits – which would prevent construction of homes more than 5,300 square feet in R-5 neighborhoods, where homes are typically smaller than 1,500 square feet. Trustee Rachel Cook thought the joint commission’s formula offered no real protection against monster replacement homes. Crawford agreed, and Trustee Mike Guinane – still seeming to misunderstand the situation – said he would rather wait a few months and see how the basic MBS ordinance was working.

"This is a gap in our current ordinance," Cook said, attempting to explain the nature of the proposed action, "and it is a gap that really does expose moderately-sized neighborhoods to over development."

"As a stop-gap measure, this does afford some protection," said President Carlson.

"In a neighborhood where the majority of homes run about 1,000 square feet, a limit – a cap of 5,300 square feet does nothing!" Cook replied.

Crawford moved to continue the discussion so he could submit a compromise proposal, and the board agreed.

The trustees approved landscaping plans for the West Side Pump Station at West Lake and Pfingsten and for the new Rugen Reservoir along Lake Avenue at the south end of The Glen.

Trustee Rachel Cook asked whether native grasses could be used to screen the properties."Sure," said the landscaper. "We love native grasses, and your maintenance budget will love them too." Over a 20-year period, the cumulative cost of maintaining a landscape of native grasses and wildflowers is $3,000 per acre compared with a cost of $20,000 per acre for turf grass that requires watering, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and mowing.

An 18-year-old Skokie man, Brian Karoll, and two 16-year-olds from that community have been charged with setting fire to a Glenview home under construction in the 1300-block of Bonnie Glen Lane. Glenview Police linked the three to the crime using records from cellular phones that were reported stolen at around the same time. Detectives say the kids found combustible liquids in the house and used them to start the fire, which eventually engulfed a neighboring home. Total damage to the properties has been set at $700,000.

More than a thousand Glenview residents turned out Friday night for the annual Relay for Life at Glenbrook South High School to raise $165,000 for the American Cancer Society. Sixty-five survivors ran or walked the first lap. Phil and Carol Heles organized the top team, raising $12,000 for the cause.

More than 500 people took part in the first annual Lew Blond Memorial 5K and Fun Run on June 2 and donations are still coming in. Blond, a teacher at Maple Middle School, died of Lou Gehrig’s disease, and some of the money raised will go to the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The benefit also provided $1,000 scholarships for students from Glenbrook South and North – Michelle Isenberg and Barbi Boysen – along with funds to build an applied technology laboratory at Maple. Blond’s widow, Therese, was on hand to thank participants. She said her late husband "was a person who loved to help others – a real people person," and the large turn out was a real tribute to him.

If you have ideas for how to improve transportation in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago, plan to attend a summit meeting on June 18 sponsored by the Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality Commission at the First United Methodist Church, 666 Graceland in Des Plaines from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. A light dinner will be served. For more information or to register, call 773-278-4800, extension 2020 or visit the Citizen Transportation Plan website at www.gnt.org/2030.

The Comprehensive Plan Commission invites public comment on what residents want Glenview to be during the first of four workshops to be held on June 21 from 6-9 p.m. at Village Hall. On that same night, Glenview’s Park District Board holds its regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. in Park Center. Among other things, they will discuss the future of Wagner Farm and the Rugen Center.

On June 27, Nancy Firfer, Kent Fuller, John Patton Jr. and Joyce Schmidt will be honored at a Valley Lo party. Invitations have gone out to present and former elected officials, village staff and members of boards and commissions. They are signed by Village Manager Paul McCarthy and Village President Larry Carlson. No word on who will foot the bill.

The event takes place on the same night the trustees have their first office hours at Village Hall – a campaign promise made by Mike Guinane. We trust that the politically ambitious Guinane will forego the hors d’oeuvres in favor of constituent service.

Concord Homes appeared before The Glen Redevelopment Commission to ask for guidance on a an agreement it signed to build 15 all-brick homes. The developer wondered what the village meant by "all brick." Representatives showed some drawings of houses that were about half brick and half siding, pointed out that these homes would not look very good if built entirely from brick, and wondered if they would pass for "all brick" under the contract.

No one on the panel seemed inclined to excuse Concord from its pledge. Said Commissioner Jack Bevington, "What is it about 100 percent that you don’t understand?"

Library Board President Donna Berndt responds to last week’s note from Terry Wodder who hopes the library will stay at its present location. He fears the post office will not move, and blames Glenview for failing to contact the right people in Washington: "We have read the recent comments of Terry Wodder, now of West Virginia, with interest, and we appreciate the level of concern he brings to the problem of the library's future. We wish to assure him and all residents of Glenview that the library board has indeed sought congressional help in its efforts to dislodge the post office, and that both the library and village boards are working together closely to examine all of our options as carefully and as fully as possible. No decisions have been made at this time, nor will they be made without full public input. As The Watch reported this week, the two boards will have a working session in June in which specifics will be closely examined. After that meeting, the library plans to bring the details of our situation and proposed solution to the public. We appreciate the thoughts and concerns of those who care about Glenview, no matter where they currently live."

Maggie laughs and shakes her head over the Village Report this month: "I had to laugh a big hearty laugh when I read the headline – "Help Plan the Village's Future." Hasn't that already been done for us with The Glen and the MURC and the non-stop, high-density building? Citizens voice their opinions about all this, and some official or trustee yells them down or tells them they are wrong or says it will be looked into, and on and on. Geez, do I sound just a little bit pessimistic?"

EBM writes: "I have tried over many years to persuade the Park District to provide vegetable garden plots similar to what we had for a long time in Flick Park The Park District and the village all had reasons why there wasn't enough space any more. Then along came the Glen and now comes Wagner Farm -- a natural for children, families, and the elderly, but for some reason nobody wants to even consider garden plots. Any idea why not? I gave up some years back and have been doing my serious gardening in Wilmette. But why not Glenview?"

The Watch replies: The answer to your question probably lies in the fact that land is so expensive and in demand for so many other things. Those plots at Flick were popular, but not nearly as popular as kids’ soccer – and so, in the early 80's, the Park District turned them into playing fields. There is a group forming to try and acquire open space that could be used for gardening. If you’re interested in helping, call Amy at 998-6689.

F. Pinsler wonders: "Why aren't the police moving traffic southbound on Lehigh during construction by the post office?"

The Watch replies: We put your question to the police department, and a survey of the site was ordered. Afterward, Deputy Police Chief Brad Weigel concluded a traffic cop at that corner wouldn’t help much. During the busiest times, cars would move through the intersection more quickly – only to back up at the intersection of Lehigh and Glenview.

BR writes: "We received the May 2001 copy of Glenview Park District Update and we were disappointed to learn that we could no longer obtain free wood chips. The wood chip program was a great benefit, and we do not understand the connection between the new village ordinance (requiring fences around piles of material) and cancellation of the free chip program. Couldn't something be done to allow residents to obtain chips – perhaps have a time when we could pick them up or get them delivered?"

The Watch replies: The Park District program was a simple one that involved no cost. Chips were piled-up behind the sled hill at Flick Park, and residents could take some home. Now – with Glenview’s new construction ordinance in effect – a 6-foot locked fence is required, and a staffer would have to be paid to open the gate when residents came by. The Park District also claims they’re using all the chips they make, so they’re no longer a surplus commodity.

Tom writes: "We own a townhouse in Glenview. The president of our association wants to pass a law that the units in the building cannot be used as rental property. Can he legally do this? Is there anyone I can contact in the Village to find out more."

The Watch replies: There is no law that prohibits a condominium association from imposing such a ban, but our legal expert says the courts would probably find the restriction unreasonable. In other words, your association may vote not to allow rentals, but they’d have to take you to court to enforce it, and they might very well lose. Maybe you can persuade the association that such a strict ban will end up costing them money and propose something less extreme – like a rule that you can only rent the property for a year or you can only rent with permission of the association. In any event, you probably need to see a lawyer now if you plan to rent your unit in the future.

Barb Palmer says some residents of Glen Oak Acres will soon vote on whether to pay for flood water management, but she says the public is ill-informed:  "The village has worked very hard to flood us with lots of information and numbers regarding this project, but there are two facts that are not widely known. First: If you do not vote, it is the same as voting yes. If only 10 of about 45 properties affected vote, and six of those vote "yes" and four vote "no," the Village considers this a passing vote. Lesson? Get your act together and vote!

"Second: The five or six houses on Glen Oak Drive at the north end where it intersects Winnetka Road are in the village of Northfield. Last year, Northfield put in a new drainage system for these residents at no cost to the residents. When the new houses being built in this stretch are completed, Northfield is scheduled to pave the road. The cost to the homeowners is zero.

"The village of Glenview is reviewing the 25/75 percent split of costs on Special Service Districts. If we agree to pay 75 percent of the fees for the drainage system the village is proposing, what incentive is there for the Village to change this archaic system? Better question is why we should be paying anything!"

Barbara Hines responds to Mary Novotny’s enthusiastic endorsement of modern movie theaters: "I went to the theater and had people in front of me in chairs that rocked steadily through the show. Who needs that distraction? Forget it. I’ll never go to the theater again."

Art Wulf writes: "I was intrigued by your article on Concord Homes, and its builder contribution of $200,000 to District 34, and $86,000 to District 225. Perhaps you can obtain confirmation that the amounts are calculated by using the ‘new rates’ of $500,000 valuation per acre. Remember, Glenview used to be $40,000 per acre.

"You should ask for a copy of the calculation, and post it on the Watch. I am confident that you won't get it, because the village cannot be bothered to reveal that information. I am not even sure that they make the calculation. I previously asked for that information to confirm that the village was properly making the new determination. I was politely told to come into the office, dig through the records and make my own calculation.

"In defense of Concord, a builder is not supposed to make the village whole. They don't have to contribute enough to cover the schools’ costs. That is what taxes are all about. This concept of only having new construction that does not generate kids is absurd. I've got mine, so don't let anyone else into Glenbrook. How do you think the community remains vibrant?"

The Watch replies: The calculation is, at this point, a projection being made by the developer, and we’re told it’s based on the new formula. What is puzzling is the fact that no impact fees have actually come in since the new formula was approved. We’ll submit a Freedom of Information Act request to verify that no developers were required to pay impact fees over the past 12 months and let you know what we learn. Thanks for asking.

YOUR TURN: Share your views on local issues and news. E-mail to glenviewwatch@aol.com or snail mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Dr., Glenview, IL 60025. Your comments are an important part of the Watch, and we look forward to hearing from you. We are Sandy Hausman and Dean Schott, co-editors of Glenview Watch.

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